Keralam minister K Muraleedharan, who holds the health and Devaswom portfolios, on Sunday defended the state government's decision to exempt two sections of the Vigilance department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, saying some disclosures to the media had hampered investigations in the past, news agency PTI reported.
He said the exemption would largely not affect the public's right to seek information about the department's functioning and assured that the government did not intend to hide anything.
Speaking to reporters, the minister rejected allegations that the move was aimed at protecting prominent people, including political leaders and elected representatives.
Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, had made the allegation on Saturday.
"There is no need to rescue anyone as no prominent person was in need of any protection from corruption allegations. No such person is involved in any such matter. There were instances of information coming out in the media which were hampering investigations and therefore, some restrictions were imposed," Muraleedharan said, according to PTI.
"The government will not take a stand to hide important documents under the Right to Information Act. The government will not hide anything from the public. So, there is no need for any concern," he added.
Muraleedharan said the Congress had introduced the RTI Act, but alleged that the transparency law was later "diluted" by the BJP-led government in the Centre.
Vijayan had accused the Congress-led UDF government of "suppressing transparency and protecting the corrupt" by exempting two sections of the state Vigilance department from the RTI Act.
The ex-CM alleged that the decision was intended to conceal files linked to corruption allegations against political leaders and elected representatives.
Vijayan also claimed that the notification was issued after Vigilance records concerning Chief Minister VD Satheesan had surfaced and alleged that the government was trying to protect influential people accused of corruption.
He was referring to a recent state government notification that brought the T1 and T2 sections of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau directorate under the exemption granted to intelligence and security organisations under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act, 2005.
The state government had exempted eight state intelligence and security organisations from the law in 2006.
State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala defended the latest decision, saying confidentiality was essential for Vigilance investigations and functioning.
He also claimed that the T sections did not, in practice, come under the RTI Act.
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(With PTI inputs)